Lasting machine



i5 194@ T. P. QOURCHENE 2946?@94 LASTING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 27, 1945 2vSheets-Sheet l immm Theodore P Courchene' i hz' tiny @Ct 35,1946. TQP. coURcHENE 2,409,194

LASTING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 27, 1945 2 Sheecs-Shee'c 2 Innen for' Theodore j. Courchene Patented 0st. 15, 1946 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE LASTING MACHINE Theodore P. Courchene, Beverly, Mass., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey 8 Claims.

This invention relates to lasting machines, the present application being a division of a copending application for Letters Patent for improvements in Lasting machines, Serial No. 574,855, filed on January 2'7, 1945. The invention is herein illustrated as applied to a machine constructed generally as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,843,232, granted on February 2, 1932, on an application of B. Jorgensens, but modiiied in certain respects as further disclosed especially in Letters Patent No. 2,026,539, granted on J anuary 7, 1936, and in Letters Patent No. 2,075,852, granted on April 6, 1937, on other :applications of B. Jorgensens. Machines of that character are frequently used, as herein shown, for lasting tennis shoes or the like which are commonly made on metal lasts and in which the uppers are secured to insoles by adhesion. It is .to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the manufacture of shoes of that kind or, in'

some aspects, to machine organizations such as disclosed in the above-mentioned Letters Patent.

A machine such as that to which the invention is herein shown as applied is provided with toelasting means including a gripper which is closed by a treadle on the margin of the toe end of the upper prior to the starting of the power operation of the machine and serves thereafter to pull the upper in response to downward movement of the last eiected by pressure applied to an insole on the last. The last with the upper and the insole thereon is mounted bottom upward on a toe rest and on a heel-end support which are movable downwardly with it; and also movable downwardly with the heel-end support is a member herein termed a heel carriage which is provided with a heel band for clamping the upper against the last about its heel end and, if the heel end of the shoe is to be lasted by the machine, with wipers for wiping the margin of that end of the upper inwardly over the insole. The heel carriage is held initially retracted lengthwise of the shoe by a latch which is moved by the operator to release it prior to the star-ting of the power operation of the machine, whereupon a spring acting on the carriage moves it to a definitely determined position to carry the heel band toward the shoe. In response to the movement of the carriage the heel-end support acts to move the shoe a short distance in the opposite direction to force it yieldingly against the heel band, the band serving as an abutment for positioning the last lengthwise relatively to the toelasting means by engagement with the heel end of the upper.

The above-mentioned heel-end support has been provided heretofore with a last pin arranged to enter the usual spindle hole in the heel end of the last when the work is presented to the machine. The locations of the spindle holes in dif- 2 ferent lasts frequently vary, especially when th lasts are made of metal, and this has sometimes delayed the operator in presenting the work since the inverted position of the last prevents him from seeing the spindle hole. To eliminate any such delay and thereby to increase the output of the machine, the invention provides a construction having no last pin but having means for otherwise controlling the last with respect to lengthwise movement. As herein shown, the heel-end support has a portion devoid of any last pin for engaging the top face of the heel end of the last and another portion arranged to engage the exterior of the last or of the upper thereon in a location between the heel-end portion and the toe-end portion of the last to hold the last against lengthwise displacement away from the heel band and thus to render the band properly effective -to clamp the upper against the last and to determine the position of the last lengthwise relatively to the toe-lasting means.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a view mainly in front elevation of the greater portion of the machine to which the invention is herein shown as applied, with the parts as they appear after the toe gripper has been closed and the heel carriage'released prior to the star-ting of the machine; I

Fig. 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in front elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of a portion of the heel-end support, with a part broken away and with one form of last and shoe thereon;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the heel-end support shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5,

In view of the disclosures in the above-mentioned Letters Patent, only such portions of the machine as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention will be herein particularly described. The machine herein shown is constructed for lasting only the toe and heel ends of the shoe, the side-lasting mechanisms sometimes included heretofore in machines of the illustrative type being omitted.

For supporting the last and shoe the machine includes, as heretofore, a slide 2 movable downwardly against the resistance of a spring 4 by pressure applied on the bottom of the heel end of the shoe and a toe rest 6 movable downwardly against the resistance of a spring 8 by pressure applied on the bottom of the toe end of the shoe. The shoe and its supporting means are thus moved downwardly in the power operationlof the the machine by a toe presser-foot I and a heel presser-foot I2 arranged to engage the toe and heel ends of the insole respectively. The toe presser-foot is supported on an arm I4 which by means of a handle I6 is swung forwardly by the operator to carry the toe presser-foot to a position over the toe end of the shoe, whereupon the machine is started and the arm is moved downwardly to carry the presser-foot into engagement with the insole and to impart to the toe end of the shoe its downward movement. As the toe presser-foot is thus moved downwardly the heel presser-foot is swung automatically to a position over the heel end of the shoe and is moved downwardly to depress that end of the shoe.

The toe-lasting mechanism includes a toe band I8 which embraces the upper about the toe end of the last and wipes the upper heightwise of the last in response to the downward movement of the last, and also includes toe-embracing wipers 28 which are thereafter operated to wipe the margin of the toe end of the upper inwardly over the insole into position to adhere to the insole. Further included in the toe-lasting mechanism is a toe gripper 22 which grips the marginal portion of the toe end of the upper and applies a pull to the upper in response to the downward movement of the last. This gripper, in accordance generally with the disclosure of Letters Patent No. 2,075,852, is closed on the upper prior to the starting of the power operation of the machine by a treadle 24 acting thereon through mechanism including a flexible cable 28.

As fu-rther described in Letters Patent No. 2,026,539, the above-mentioned vertically movable shoe support slide 2 carries at its upper end a slide 28 (Figs. 1 and 2) mounted for movements in directions lengthwise of the shoe along guideways 30 on the slide 2. Supported by the slide 28 is a vertical shoe-supporting rod 32 having thereon screw threads engaged by cooperating threads of a bevel gear 34 rotatably mounted on the slide 23. The bevel gear 34 is engaged by another bevel gear 36 fast on a shaft 38 which is rotatable in the slide 28 and extends through a slot 40 in the slide 2 to permit the movements of the slide 28 lengthwise of the shoe, the shaft 38 having thereon a hand wheel 42 for turning it to adjust the rod 32 vertically. Fast on the slide 2 are two horizontal rods 44 on which a heel carriage 4S is guided for movement lengthwise of the shoe, this heel carriage serving as a support for hee1-lasting mechanism comprising wipers 48 (Fig. 1) for wiping the margin of' the heel end of the upper inwardly over the insole and a heel band 56 for embracing and clamping the upper about the heel end of the last. To provide room for presenting the shoe to the machine the heel carriage 46 is held initially retracted lengthwise of the shoe by engagement of a latch member 52 (Figs. 1 and 3) with a lug 54 on the lower end of the carriage, and upon its release by the latch member the carriage is moved toward the shoe support by a spring 56 which abuts at its outer end against a bracket 58 fast on the rods 44. The latch member 52 is carried by a lever 60 which is pivotally mounted at 52 on the bracket 58 and is swung downwardly to release the heel carriage by means hereinafter described. The movement of the carriage toward the shoe is limited by its engagement with washers 64 (Fig. 2) mounted on the rods 44 and abutting against the slide 2. Substantially at the time when the carriage engages the washers the shoe is moved lengthwise into engagement with the heel band (ill by a short movement of the slide 28 toward the carriage 46 along the guideways 3D. For controlling the slide 28 there is provided another slide 66 movable in directions lengthwise of the shoe along a guideway formed on a bracket 68 which is fast on the slide 2. Rotatably mounted in the slide 66 is a shaft 10 which carries a bevel gear l2 in engagement with another bevel gear 4 fast on a shaft 'I6 at right angles to the shaft 'lll and also rotatably mounted in the slide 66. The shaft 'I6 is provided with screw threads engaging cooperating threads in a nut 18 mounted in a recess in the slide 23. On the shaft 1E! is a hand wheel 89 for turning it. It will thus be seen that by turning this hand wheel the slide 28 may be adjusted in directions lengthwise of the shoe relatively to the slide 66, and that by the adjusting means the slide 28 and the slide 6G are held in xed relation to each other so as to be movable as a unit in directions lengthwise of the shoe.

Pivotally connected at one end to a pin 82 in the slide B6 is a link 84 which is pivotally connected at its other end to a crank arm 86 (Fig. 1) fast on a shaft 88 mounted to turn in the bracket 58. On the hub of lthis crank arm are gear teeth in engagement with a pinion S0 which is fast on a shaft 92 also mounted to turn in the bracket 58. Fast on the shaft 92 is a depending arm 94 the lower end of which is in the path of the horizontally movable heel carriage 46. Accordingly, when the carriage is moved outwardly to its initial position where it is held by the latch member 52, as it is automatically near the end of the cycle of operations of the machine through connections including a chain 96 as heretofore, it acts through the arm 94, the pinion 90 and the crank arm 86 .-to move the link 84 toward the left (Fig. 1) and thereby to move the slide 55 and the shoe support slide 28 also to the left. In this manner the shoe is moved lengthwise in a direction away from the heel band 58 which is being moved in the opposite direction away from the shoe by the heel carriage. Such movement of the link 84 results in compression of a, spring 98 held between a nut Idil on the link and a plate H12 on the bracket 68. The slide and the connected slide 28 are held in the positions :to which they are thus moved by the link 84 by means of a latch 84 pivotally mounted on the bracket 68 and controlled by a spring |85, this latch engaging a plate Hi8 on the slide 66. Accordingly, when the heel carriage 46 is released by the latch member 52 after the next shoe has been mounted on the shoe support, the slide 28 is held in its initial position by the latch |04 as the heel carriage is moved toward the shoe by ethe spring 56. When the carriage has nearly reached the position in which it is stopped by the Washers 64, a screw H8 adjustably mounted in the lower end of the carriage engages a depending arm H2 of the latch i814 and causes the latch to release the slide 66. The spring 98 then acts through the link 84 to move the shoe suppor-t slide 28 toward the heel carriage until stopped by the engagement of the heel end of the shoe with the heel band 50. It will thus be seen that the position of each shoe lengthwise relatively to the toe-lasting means is determined by the heel band which acts as an abutment in contact with the heel-end face of the upper, the heel carriage 46 being always moved to the position determined by the washers 64.

The lever 5B which carries the latch member 52 is normally held up against the lug 54 on the heel carriage 46 by a spring H4 connected to a rod I6 which is pivotally connected at its upper end to the lever. By means associated with the rod it and not herein fully disclosed, but described and claimed in application Serial No. 574,855 of which the present application is a division, the lever is swung downwardly to release the heel carriage to the action of the spring 5E by further downward movement of the treadle 2d after the toe gripper 22 has been closed on the upper by the treadle.

The previously mentioned threaded rod 32 which serves as part of the means for supporting the heel-end portion of the last and shoe has formed on its upper end, as heretofore, a head ||8 (Figs. 4 and 5) having therein a guideway |255 extending laterally of the shoe and curved about an axis extending lengthwise of the shoe in the vicinity of the bottom of its heel end, as more fully disclose-j in Letters Patent No. 2,026,- 539, and mounted in this guideway for movement in one direction or the other laterally of the shoe to permit the bottoms of the toe ends of right and left Shoes to be properly `positioned relatively to the toe-lasting means is a block |22. This block has been provided heretofore with a last pin arranged to extend into the spindle hole in the heel end of the last. To save time in presenting a shoe `to the machine, in view of the fact that such spindle holes are often not uniformly positioned in different lasts, there is provided for purposes of this invention, instead of such a last pin, a plate |24 secured by a rivet |26 on the top of the block |22 in a position further determined by a dowel pin |28. Mounted for adjusting movements along the plate |24 is another plate |39 arranged, as shown in Fig. 4, for supporting engagement with the top face of the heel end of the last and having at one end an upwardly extending portion |32 provided with a recess |34 having an inclined wall curved laterally of the shoe for engagement with the exterior of the last or of the upper thereon in a location between the :toe-endA portion and the heel-end portion of the last. The plate |35) is held in different adjusted positions, as may be required by shoes of different sizes, by a bar |36 (Fig. 6) and a screw |38 extending fthrough the bar and threaded in the plate |24. The bar has at its opposite ends upraised portions engaging the opposite side portions of the plate |30 underneath, and when the screw |38 is tightened it acts through the bar to clamp the plate |30 against flanges lli@ on the sides of the plate |25. It will thus be seen that in presenting a shoe to the machine the operator merely places the top of the heel end of the last on the plate 3d in the position illustrated in Fig. 4, and that when the slide 28 and the parts thereon are moved by the spring 98 toward the heel carriage as hereinbefore described, the shoe is moved lengthwise toward the heel band 5|! and is pressed against it by the upstanding portion |32 of the plate |39 which thereafter prevents its displacement away from the heel band. Accordingly, notwithstanding the absence of any last pin, the heel band is rendered eifective to determine the position of 'the last lengthwise relatively to the toe-lasting means and to apply the required clamping pressure to the heel end of the upper in the lasting operation.

If the machine is used to last a shoe of the Oxford type mounted on a last of less height at its heel-end portion than that shown in Fig. 4, there is preferably utilized a block |42 (Fig. 1) for engaging and supporting the top face of the heel end of the last, this block being supported on the plate |24 in the position determined by two pins M4 extending from the block into holes |45 (Fig. 5) in the plate. To provide room for the block |42 the plate |30 has in one end a curved recess |48 (Fig. 5). The block |42 may be detached when desired merely by lifting it olf the plate |24. It will be understood that when the block |42 .is used the upwardly extending portion |32 of the plate |36 performs the same function as when the block is not in use. It will further be understood that while this upwardly extending portion of the plate |353 will usually engage the upper, it may engage the last itself under some conditions.

As explained in Letters Patent No. 2,026,539, the purpose of movement of the block |22 along the curved guideway |20, when the block has been provided as heretofore with a last pin, has been to permit the bloot; and the pin to assume positions in accordance with the lateral inclinations of the heel ends of right and left lasts when the lasts are tipped so that the bottom of their toe ends are positioned in proper relation to the plane of the toe wipers. In the construction herein shown, notwithstanding the omission of the last pin, provision for such movement of the block |22 is retained, so that the block and the plates |24 and |33 supported thereon similarly may assume different positions for right and left lasts when the lasts are of a style .such as to require it. Since each last extends into the recess |34 in the upstanding portion |32 of the plate |38, the block and the plates may be readily moved in one direction or the other along the guideway |23 by the engagement of the shoe or last with the upstanding portion |32 as the work is presented to the machine. To limit adjustably their movements in opposite directions, there are provided stops |50 corresponding to similar stops shown in the last-mentioned Letters Patent, these stops in the construction herein shown being arranged to engage the sides of the plate |3. The stops are movable as heretofore along a guideway on the head H8 of the rod 32 and are adjusted equal distances toward or from each other by a rod |52 provided with right and left threads and having a knob |54 thereon for turning it. It will be understood that, if desired, the stops |59 may be so adjusted as to maintain the block |22 and the parts thereon in a central position.

In the use of the machine, in so far as it isof interest with reference to the present invention, the operator taires a shoe which, as herein shown, will usually have been already side lasted from its toe-end portion to its heel-end portion and mounts it on the toe rest and the heel-end support. If the shoe is one of the Oxford type, as shown in Fig. l, the block |2 will have been mounted on the plate |24 for engagement with the top face of the heel end of the last. therwise the top of the heel end 0f the last is engaged by the plate i3d as shown in Fig. 4. In thus presenting the work the operator positions it with a portion of the last, and usually also of the upper, in the recess |34 of the upstanding portion |32 of the plate vISI! and by moving the heel end of the shoe laterally in one direction or the other, depending upon whether the shoe is a right or a left shoe, shifts the block |22 and the parts thereon to a position determined by engagement of one or the other of the stops iii with the plate |3. In presenting the work the operator also positions the margin of the toe end of the upper outspread in the toe gripper 22.

Patent No. 2,075,852. ltreadle-theconnections. for controlling the heel After the workfhasthus been Lproperly; presented 2 the loperatorcloses the toegripp'er. on. the upper `bydepressioniof the treadle 24 and. by furtherdepression of the treadle thereafter swings the latch member 52 (Fig. l) downwardlyto. release the heel carriage 46, whereupon the heelv carriage is moved by the-spring '5E' to the. position deter-- mined by its engagement with the washers 64 (Fig.^2), thus carrying thelheei band 50toward theshoe. Near the'endbf this movement ofthe .heel carriage the latch IM is operated to release the :slide 28 to the actionof the sp1ing98which moves the slide and the parts .thereon-to carry the shoe toward the heel band andthus to cause the l heel-bandproperly to engage the'heel end. of the iishoe. Such movementr'is imparted to the shoe by Vthefengagementof vthe upstanding portion S32 ofthe plate. |39 with the llast or with the upper thereon, Athe operator atv this` time still holding 'theshoe down on the heel-end supportV with his hand. vThe operator then startsV .the power operationrof themachine by swinging. the'arm I4 closed on' the uppersby means disclosed in Letters Upon the release of the carriage assume therpositions inl'which they are shownrin Fig. 1, so thatluponreturn of the heel carriage and the slide 28vto their initial positions near the end-f the: cycle of operations they will be held bythe latches 52 and it," respectively.

Having describedthe invention, what I claim vas newlanddesire tovsecure by Letters'Patent of the United'States'is:

l. In a lastingmachine, the combination with `toe-lasting means, 'ofy an abutment for.' engaging the heel. end of an upper on a last vto position ythe last lengthwise relatively to said toe-lasting 'means, a toe rest for supporting the last at the top of the forepart, `and a heel-end support for the last, saidheel-endsupport having means for ykpreventing lengthwise'displacement ofthe last away from saidabutment. solelyby engagement with the exterior of the last or of the upper thereon.

2. In a' 1asting machine, the combination with vtoe-lasting means, of 'an abutment' for. engaging the heel end of` an upper on a last to position the.

last lengthwise Arelatively to said toe-lasting means, a toe rest for supporting the last at the top ofthe forepart, anda heel-end support for the last, said heel-end support being'devoid of any last pin but .having means for preventing llengthwise displacement of the last away from said abutment by engagement with the exterior oftherlast or. of the upper thereon ,in a location between the heel-endlportion and the ktoe-end portion of the last.

r3. In a lasting machine, the combination with toe-lasting means,v of an abutment for engaging the heel end of an upper on a last topositicn the last lengthwise relatively to ysaid toe-lasting means, a toe rest for supporting the last at the top oi the forepart, and a heel-end support for the last,'said.hee1end support being movable relatively to the toe rest to carry the last lengthwise toward said abutmentl and Vhaving means i for pressing thelast in thatzdirection solely by 'engagement' withfthel exterior..- of theI last orzof .thelupper thereon.

4.: In :a Vlasting machine, the combination with '.lasting means including a yheel band for embracing and clamping an upper about the heel end 'of' a -last,.of a heel-end support: for the last, and

meansior effecting relativef'movementot said .heel band and heel-end" support toengage the heel bandwith the upper, said heel-endv support having means for engagingithe top face' of the heel endV of the last and also means for preventing'lengthwise'displacement-oi the last away from :said `heel band solely by-engagement with the exterior 0f the last or ofthe yupper thereon.

1 5.,.In a lasting zmachine, the. combination `with v'lasting means includinga heel band for embrac- :ingfand vclamping. an upper aboutthe heel, end ,oa last,l of. a heel-end support for the last, .and

Vmeans'ior effecting relative movementl of said 'heel band and .heel-end' support to engage the rheelbandfwith the'zupper, said heel-end support -having'means devoid'of any last pin for engaging thertop face of theheel end of .the last and` also 1 meansfor engagingjthaexterior-cf the last or: of

the .upper thereonsini` alocation `between the -heelend. portion/and the'. toe-end Iportion ofy the last to hold Vthe llast against 'lengthwise displacement @away from'said heel band.

I 5. .In a lasting'machinathe combination'with lasting means vincluding aheel band for.'embrac ingandclamping, anupper aboutl the heel end of ai last, of. a heel-end support for the last, and `:means forieffecting relativemovement 'of said .heel band-and `heel-end support to engage the heel. band VwithA the upper, 'said .heel-end support havinga portion devoidofany last pin for. en-

gaging the top face of the heel end ofv the last and having 1 also another portion extending heightwiseof the last from said first-named portion and recessed to receive andengage the eX- `terior Aof the. last or Yofthe l'upper thereon in a 'location-nearerthe toe end of the last than said top .faceand'thereby` to hold the last against lengthwise displacement@ away from said heel band.

7. 'In a lasting machine; an abutment arranged to be positionedopposite the heel-end face of a last to press against the heel end. of an upper on the last, a Vheel-end support for the last,:said

heel-end; support lhaving means devoid of any .last'pn for engagingthe top-face of the heelend .of the last and also-*means 'for engaging the'ex- .teriorof thezlast or.of the upper thereon in a 4locationrbetween the heel-end Iportion and the toe-end'portion-of the last to hold the lastlength- `wise against the pressure applied by said' abutment,l and` spring means for-effecting relative movement of said heel-end supportV and abutment :to cause' the abutment' to 4apply its pressure to the upper.

18. In ailasting machine, an abutment arranged to'be positionedopposite the heel-end faceA of a last to press against the heel end of an upper on thalast, and a heel-end supportffor the last haviingidetachable'means devoidiofany last pin for engaging the topi face of the heel end of the last 'Land other`means alsoffdevoidoiany last pin for engaging the topfaceofA the'heel end of a last of a diierent style=when said rst-namedmeans is'detached, said heel-end support-being further provided with means for-engaging Ithei exterior 0f any last or of the upper thereon tohold the ,last lengthwise against' the pressure applied by said abutment.

' .THEODORE P.A .COURCI-IENEl 

